London low emission zone

The London Low Emission zone (LEZ) commenced on the 4th of February 2008.

The aim of the LEZ is to improve air quality in London by deterring the most polluting vehicles from being driven in the area. 

The LEZ will apply:
 - From 4 February 2008 to all diesel engined lorries over 12 tonnes;
 - From 7 July 2008 to all diesel engined lorries over 3.5 tonnes and buses and coaches over 5 tonnes with more than 9 seats
 - From 4 October 2010 to all diesel engined vans over 1.205 tonnes and minibuses under 5 tonnes with more than 9 seats.

All of these vehicles, including goods vehicles, motorcaravans, motorised horseboxes, and other specialist vehicles, will have to comply with an emission standard of Euro III for Particulate Matter (PM) in order to operate within the LEZ without charge. 
From January 2012 the emissions standards will be tightened to Euro IV for PM for lorries, buses and coaches only.

Cars, motorcycles and small vans are not included in the low emission Zone (LEZ)

For further information, visit TfL's London low emission zone website.

What are the benefits of the low emission zone?

Air pollution affects the quality of life of a large number of Londoners, especially those with respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. It was estimated that in 2005 some 1000 premature deaths and similar number of hospital admissions occurred due to poor air quality in London.

Many more people experience discomfort as a result of pollutants aggravating existing conditions. Two of these pollutants - particulate matter  (PM10) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx)  - are particularly harmful to health. Road transport is responsible for around two-fifths of NOx emissions and two-thirds of PM10 emissions in London. By reducing the amount of these pollutants in the environment, air quality within London would improve.

The role of the Energy Saving Trust

The Energy Saving Trust provides impartial information about options open to vehicle owners to meet the requirements of the scheme.

Together with the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) the Energy Saving Trust provide certification services to abatement equipment manufacturers to the Low Emission Certificate (LEC) standard. TfL will maintain the overall LEC approved device list which is published on the TfL website. All vehicles with an approved device fitted will require an annual inspection by Vehicle & Operator Services Agency (VOSA) to obtain either a Reduced Pollution Certificate (RPC) or a Low Emission Certificate (LEC). Vehicles holding a valid RPC or LEC and that meet the LEZ emissions standards will be able to drive free within the LEZ without being subject to a daily charge.


How can vehicle operators comply with the low emission zone scheme?

Operators have a range of options available to them to make their vehicles compliant with the LEZ.

Operators may choose to:

• Check the LEC Eligible Engines List to see if their engine matches one on the list.  See below for more details.
  
• Modify the vehicle to meet the emissions standard, by fitting a
  cleaner engine or fitting approved, certified particulate abatement equipment.
  
• Upgrade to a vehicle that does comply with the emissions standard.
  
• Avoid travelling in the London low emission zone (LEZ). Diversion routes are available around the LEZ boundary and are clearly signed. The entire M25 is excluded from the LEZ.
  
• Re-engine your vehicle with an engine that complies with the LEZ emission standards.
  
• Reorganise their fleet to only use compliant vehicles within the London LEZ.
  
• Pay the daily charge and drive within the LEZ.

For more information on how to comply with the LEZ or on the certification process for abatement equipment, please visit the TfL website.

Pre Euro 3 engines eligible for LEC without fitment of particulate abatement equipment

Some Euro II and a few Euro I certified engines registered before 1st October 2001 may have sufficiently low particulate matter emissions that they meet the Euro III PM standard in 2008 without modification.

A list of these engines can be found on the Eligible Engines List on the LEZ website. If your vehicle engine is on this list, your vehicle will still need to obtain either a Low Emissions Certificate or Reduced Pollutions test from VOSA for that vehicle.

The purpose of the certificate inspection is to ensure the engine is on the eligible list, whilst the smoke test confirms the vehicle is operating within expected emissions limits. Whilst this smoke test level is stricter than the MOT limit for the vehicle, the use of the smoke mark ensures it is within the certified in-service limits for the vehicle.

Only vehicles which pass this inspection and are issued with a certificate from VOSA are LEZ compliant.

These vehicles will not meet the tightened Euro IV LEZ emissions standards in 2012 without modification. 

RPC and LEC tests bookings can already be made with VOSA directly and should only be made if your engine number exactly matches one on the LEC Eligible Engine List. for further details on how to book your tests, visit the Transport Office website. If your vehicle does not exactly match those on the Eligible Engines List, VOSA will not perform the smoke test.

Help in assessing options

In the related links section on the right we have provided some case studies which illustrate the options open to operators whose vehicles are affected by the proposed low emission zone.

TfL Helpline

Phone (within the UK): 0845 607 0009

Phone (from outside the UK): +44 (0) 207 310 8998

Text phone: 0207 310 8999 (if you have impaired hearing)